Celebrity Health

UFC star Chris Weidman says he lost 12 pounds during his brush with COVID-19 --  mostly because he felt like complete dog crap and could barely eat.

But now, the 36-year-old insists he's out of the danger zone ... and will be ready to fight again in April.

The former middleweight champ initially tested positive last week -- forcing the UFC to pull him from the UFC 258 card on Feb. 13, when he was scheduled to take on #8 ranked Uriah Hall.

That fight has been pushed to April -- and Weidman says it's for the best, because COVID wrecked his body.

"The first couple of days definitely sucked pretty bad," Weidman told Submission Radio.

"For about 3 days I had a fever, body aches, bad headache, and it just kind of sucked. And, then after that, I just kind of felt tired."

Weidman says he suffered from bad headaches and was ultimately forced to take about 2 solid weeks off from the gym

"I also lost 12 pounds," Weidman says ... "I was eating soups and stuff. My appetite wasn’t that great and I ended up losing 12 pounds throughout the process. Which, I was like, wow, my weight cut is not gonna be as bad, I really got my weight low."

The good news, Weidman says he feels fully recovered now and ready to resume his fighting career.

"I feel good and I don’t feel like I have lingering effects because I really rested and made sure to do the right things."

Mat Fraser -- aka the LeBron James of CrossFit -- is stepping down from pushing weights competitively ... the legendary lifter announced Tuesday he's retiring from the sport.

Fraser is the most decorated CrossFitter who's ever lived ... he won the CrossFit Games the last FIVE years -- and in most of the events, he absolutely dusted the competition.

But, the 31-year-old said in his goodbye to the sport Tuesday that he's now ready to move on to "the next chapter" of his life.

"From now on, decisions I make won't be solely based off how they affect my performance, but how they affect my family, friends, health and happiness," Fraser said.

"I look forward to remaining a part of the Crossfit community, I just won't be doing it from the competition floor any longer."

Fraser -- who grew up a weight lifter with goals of winning Olympic gold -- jumped into the Crossfit world in 2012 and eventually overtook Rich Froning as the sport's GOAT.

But Tuesday, Fraser said that journey took a massive toll on him ... explaining he was so obsessed with dominating the sport, it sucked most of the joy out of his life.

"I’ve passed up vacations, bachelor parties, and more dates with [my wife] Sammy than I can count," Fraser said, "all so I wouldn’t miss a single training session or a full night of sleep."

Fraser says he's not sure where his future lies from here ... but he did say he'll likely begin revealing some of his training techniques to help others grow in the sport.

"Thank you for allowing me this opportunity," Fraser said, "and a special thanks to everyone who’s helped me as a sponsor, training partner, coach, or friend."

Either Rita Ora's rep for flouting COVID rules precedes her, or she just flew into a country that takes health protocols so seriously ... it forced her into immediate quarantine.

The singer flew into Sydney Monday, and video shows her getting intercepted by a gaggle of airport cops the second she stepped off the plane. Rita and her many, many bags were ushered away to a hotel ... where she'll reportedly shelter-in-place for 14 days before being allowed to go about her biz with native Aussies.

Rita's down there for a gig as a judge on "The Voice" -- let's hope they worked her 2 weeks of isolation into the shoot schedule.

To be clear, Rita's lockdown isn't Australia dropping the hammer on her in particular. The quarantine is mandatory for all incoming travelers from pretty much anywhere besides New Zealand.

So, no ... officials weren't sticking it to Rita because of her recent 'rona screw-up in the UK.

Remember, she held a moderately-sized party for her 30th birthday -- and paid around $7,000 to make it happen ... this despite London being on lockdown at the time. She apologized for it, but it was a PR nightmare.

A suddenly infamous SoulCycle instructor is saying, "My bad" ... after calling herself an "educator" in order to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Stacey Griffith apologized Monday "from the bottom of my heart" after posting a picture of herself getting the highly sought-after vaccine. The 52-year-old later admitted she was eligible because she presented herself as an "educator" on vaccine sign up forms.

Upon further review ... she called the shady move a "terrible error in judgment."

In her since-deleted post ... Griffith -- who's taught the likes of Oprah and Kelly Ripa -- started her caption with, "VACCINE DAY! Step one of the Moderna magic!! One hour drive to STATEN ISLAND worth every minute! It takes a village."

Griffith even added, "Now I can teach @soulcycle with a little more faith that we're all gonna be OK."

Of course, some real school teachers are still struggling to get vaccinated in NY where there's a shortage.

NY is currently prioritizing people older than 65 plus teachers, school staff, in-person college instructors, child care workers, first responders, public transit workers, frontline workers and people working/living in group homeless shelters.

Yeah, fitness instructors? Even popular/famous ones? NOT on the list.

Big news for the Kansas City Chiefs ... two players have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list over a "close contact" with someone who tested positive.

The players are wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore, according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

Moments ago, Reid told the media he's confident the players will "work through it" -- but obviously could not guarantee they will play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Kilgore started 4 games in 2020 and has played in 7 total. Robinson started 9 games in 2020 and played in all 16 regular-season games.

Both guys played in the AFC Championship game on January 24 against the Buffalo Bills -- with Robinson getting the starting nod at WR.

The way the NFL's COVID protocol works ... both players will be forced to quarantine for 5 days, which means no more practice for the rest of the week.

If they continue to test negative, there's a chance they can play in the Super Bowl -- but ESPN's Adam Schefter says at the moment their status is "in question."

Neither player has returned a positive COVID test at this point, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Obviously, the bigger concern is ... were any other players exposed?

We spoke with Chiefs superstar Tyreek Hill just a short while ago who told us the team had been clamping down on COVID protocols to prevent this exact situation.

Dustin Diamond -- best known for playing the lovable Samuel "Screech" Powers on the hit NBC sitcom, "Saved by the Bell" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for Dustin tells us he died Monday morning. His condition had greatly declined since last week, and he was taken off of breathing machines in an attempt to get him to hospice care. His GF was by his side when he passed away, and we're told he did not suffer.

Dustin's death comes just a couple weeks after completing his first round of chemo after he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma ... which is commonly referred to as lung cancer. We were told the cancer started somewhere in Dustin's body and metastasized in his lungs.

He was initially hospitalized in Florida in January after feeling pain all over his body and a general sense of unease. Unfortunately for the kid star ... it turned out to be cancer.

Dustin, of course, is famous for playing Screech on four seasons of "Saved by the Bell" as Zack Morris' (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) nerdy sidekick who struggled to get any of Lisa Turtle's (Lark Voorhies) love and affection.

After the kids graduated from Bayside HS ... the show got a short-lived spinoff with "Saved by the Bell: The College Years." There was also "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" ... in which Dustin appeared as Screech from season 2 to 7 as Mr. Belding's assistant.

Dustin wasn't recast for the reboot of the show on Peacock. Back in January 2020, we talked to him about why he wasn't signed on for the new project. The short answer ... he didn't know why but argued for Screech's reprisal.

Dustin would appear in tons of other roles ... including as the groom in 98 Degrees' music video for their 1999 hit track, "I Do (Cherish You)." He also appeared in 2 episodes of "The Wonder Years." He became infamous for directing his own sex tape in 2006 but later admitted to Oprah Winfrey it wasn't him ... but a stunt double.

He also appeared in tons of reality shows ... including "Celebrity Boxing 2" and "Celebrity Fit Club" where he didn't make too many friends after becoming confrontational with numerous cast members.

There were other stunts too that pivoted his career from a beloved child actor to a controversial celebrity. Like when Dustin was supposed to fight the so-called angry bagel guy, Chris Morgan, before CM pulled out of the fight.

But, through it all ... Dustin got tons of love from fans and friends alike, including Insurance King president and CEO Dan Block, who wrapped NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki's car in Dustin's honor.

Dustin's team says they're aware his name is not necessarily the most reputable due to his history of mishaps, but they want the public to understand "he was not intentionally malevolent."

His team adds that he went through a great deal of turmoil in his life, but he was always "a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh."

Dustin was 44.

Could Tom Brady REALLY play into the second half of his 40s?!

HELL YEAH -- so says the 43-year-old NFL superstar himself ... who just revealed he's "definitely" open to playing for several years to come, as long as he stays healthy.

Of course, TB12 has publicly shared his intentions of playing until age 45 ... which would make him the 3rd oldest QB in NFL history.

Now that he's playing in his 10th Super Bowl and hoping to win his 7th ring, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller was asked if he'd consider pushing back his retirement ... and his answer is wild.

"Yeah, definitely," Brady told reporters Monday. "I would definitely consider that."

However, there are a few factors -- Brady says considering the nature of the sport, he'll have to re-evaluate how his body feels at the time ... and there "has to be 100% commitment from myself to keep doing it."

But, Brady says this is exactly what he's been working on with his personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, in order to stay competitive in his 40s. Ya know, pliability and stuff like that.

"(I've) been very fortunate over the years. Alex and I work really hard at making sure physically I can perform at my best, because you take different hits ... over the course of the year deal with different bumps and bruises, different injuries and so forth."

Brady is backing up Guerrero's talk from November 2019 ... when he claimed the QB was eying playing until 46 or 47.

"It's just gonna be me continuing to make that commitment to making it part of my year-round process to play football and continue my career so definitely."

BTW -- the Pro Football Hall of Fame says George Blanda was the oldest QB in NFL history at age 48.

Tony Bennett is revealing he's suffering with Alzheimer's Disease ... but he says he's been battling it since 2016.

The beloved singer revealed his diagnosis to AARP magazine ... and his family says there were warning signs well before doctors confirmed it. Like in 2014 when he and Lady Gaga got together to record "Cheek to Cheek." Tony's wife, Susan, said Tony was already showing clear signs of the disease back then. The duo went on to tour together in 2015.

Moments after AARP posted the article ... Tony tweeted, "Life is a gift -- even with Alzheimer's. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story."

Susan and Tony were open about some day-to-day struggles ... like when she had to tap Tony on the shoulder to remind him they were doing an interview while talking to AARP.

But, there's also reason to be optimistic. Dr. Gayatri Devi, the neurologist who diagnosed Tony back in 2016, says, "He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder."

Shawn Johnson -- the 2008 Olympic gold medal gymnast -- is not only dealing with the normal challenges of pregnancy, but she's also tested positive for COVID-19.

The former Olympic star -- who's expecting her second child with husband, football player Andrew East -- revealed she has coronavirus Sunday evening, saying her results came back positive and, "Not going to lie... I'm nervous."

Shawn added ... "my body is just exhausted." She's especially concerned about the virus because she's had asthma her entire life -- plus, she says a very close family member fought off a serious case of COVID-19 just last month.

So far, she's dealing with a cough, severe sore throat and a headache. She's also super tired, but chalks a lot of that up to pregnancy.

Shawn's family already had a rough stretch, as she says their 15-month-old daughter, Drew Hazel, just got over having RSV -- a different respiratory virus that can be incredibly scary for little kids.

Her husband had previously tested positive for COVID ... something the couple revealed last month when they announced they were expecting baby #2.

Famous P.I. Jack Palladino -- who worked on a slew of cases from Bill Clinton to Kurt Cobain -- is on life support and not expected to survive after getting gravely injured during a robbery.

The 70-year-old was outside his home in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco Thursday, testing a new camera he got when a car drove by, a man jumped out and attempted to steal it.

The robber yanked the camera away from Palladino, causing him to fall ... hitting his head on the pavement and rendering him unconscious with grave injuries.

Palladino underwent surgery to stop the massive bleeding and was placed on life support.  He is not expected to survive.

He has been one of the premier P.I.'s since the '80s and continued to work on cases until he suffered his injury.

Palladino was hired by the Clinton campaign in 1992 to investigate the extra-marital affair allegations against the then-Presidential candidate. He was also hired to determine the cause of the 1994 death of Kurt Cobain. And, he was involved in investigating the circumstances surrounding the Jonestown mass suicides.

The P.I. had many other cases ... he repped the 14-year-old boy in his civil, molestation lawsuit against Michael Jackson. The child eventually got a $20 million settlement. He was also hired by John DeLorean, who was charged and acquitted of cocaine trafficking.

A suspect has been arrested in the robbery.

The wife of a Capitol Police officer who tested positive for COVID wrote a blistering email to the Acting Police Chief ... accusing her and other top officials of inhumanely exposing families to the virus ... and she says that's just one in a series of failures that have compromised the physical and mental health of those sworn to protect and serve.

LaToya Getz sent the email -- obtained by TMZ -- to Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman, in which she says these officers have not been vaccinated and it has come home to roost -- she says her 14-year-old child now has COVID.

Getz says ... "I represent the US Capitol Police wives who are bearing the weight right now, and we will not be ignored!"

She says on the day of the insurrection, she wrote 2 letters "begging" Police officials to vaccinate the rank and file, but as she says, "That fell on deaf ears." She says the night of January 6, her husband tested positive, adding, "We took every precaution, because I am immunocompromised, to be safe for almost 1 year but, our 14-year-old has it as of today."

And then, Getz bears in ... "These men and women did their job, and they did it well on January 6th and they have yet to complain ... that is where we come in.  We are offended that the US Capitol Police leadership failed your employees and our families."

She also wants to know, among other things, how they're handling PTSD with officers and their families.

Then Getz issues her ultimatum ... "The wives are expecting answers to our questions within 72 hours." She does not reveal their next move if nothing is done.

Smart & Final's leaving workers twisting in the wind as the pandemic rages on ... the grocery chain put the kibosh on COVID sick pay before most employees could even get the vaccine.

Corporate blasted out an email to employees Thursday informing them supplemental sick days for COVID-related issues were no more.

We're told the feeling among employees is that it's a low blow after busting their butts for the company and risking exposure to the virus for 10 months and counting.

Like many other essential businesses, Smart & Final tacked on extra paid sick days early on in the pandemic, but now employees are being told they've gotta use regular sick days or even vacation days if they have to miss work because of COVID.

Problem is ... the pandemic is far from over, and we're told many employees are upset with the change because they still aren't eligible for vaccination and they're in the dark about how to even go about getting the shots once it's their turn in line.

We reached out to Smart & Final ... so far, no word back.

Some Chinese officials have rolled out a whole new way to test for COVID-19 -- and it entails bending over and spreading 'em ... something we can now see in a test run.

You might've heard of this by now, but you haven't seen it quite like this -- check out this video of a Chinese health official demonstrating how their new anal swabbing method works ... doing the deed on none other than a life-size dummy, who is oh-so-compromised.

The doll -- which is weirdly wearing pajamas for some reason -- is bent over with its heinie out in the air and its arms spread out, almost like it was getting checked for weapons at a prison intake session or something. Eventually, the scientist goes in.

The guy dips the swab in a saline solution -- standard practice for this methodology -- and then inserts the cotton-end into the hole. He gets in there pretty deep -- an inch or so give best results, they say -- and then gives it a nice little twist for good measure before pulling out and putting in a plastic sample tube.

No big, right?!? Eh, not exactly ...

While some Chinese experts insist the anal swab test is much more accurate at detecting the 'rona -- a lot of people aren't too happy about the surprise screenings they're being subjected to at airports in parts of northern China, including in the country's capital of Beijing.

Word is this is NOT a country-wide mandated test, but it seems like some provinces and whatnot are running it on their own terms as they see fit -- and folks don't appear to have much of a say in the matter. If they suspect someone's exposed, they can request it.

They can either administer it to you on the spot, or they'll let you keep your dignity and sometimes let you do a self-test in the privacy of a room, before they cut you loose.

We've learned the cause of death for the 'Wipeout' contestant who collapsed shortly after completing the obstacle course, and it underscores the hidden dangers of extreme sport game shows.

The contestant, 38-year-old Michael Paredes, died from a heart attack which was brought on by coronary artery disease ... according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.

The autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, notes Paredes was running an obstacle course built over a body of water when he fell down into the depths. He swam to the edge of the water but was unable to pull himself out, and when he was eventually pulled out he was placed in a wheelchair.

Paredes leaned side-to-side in the wheelchair and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated before being rushed to a hospital, the report says.

The contestant died about 24 hours after being hospitalized. The autopsy reveals extensive blockage in his coronary arteries. The right coronary artery had up to 90% stenosis -- narrowing or restriction -- and the other coronary arteries had issues as well. An acute case of pneumonia is also mentioned as a secondary factor.

When we broke the story back in November, production sources told us 'Wipeout' contestants underwent medical exams before participating ... and the autopsy notes Paredes had no reported medical history.

The coronavirus vaccine isn't enough to save Coachella and Stagecoach from suffering the same fate two years in a row ... the music festivals just got put on ice ... again.

The sad news came down Friday from Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. He signed an order scrapping the April events, citing COVID as the culprit.

Hundreds of thousands of fans flocked to the festivals each April before the pandemic, and more would have been champing at the bit to go this year after lockdowns and the death of live music ... the doc says it's just not safe to have people coming in from all corners of a world ravaged by virus.

The move's not too surprising, considering the pandemic is far from under control ... and right now it's anyone's guess if the festivals can be revived in October. That was the plan last year, but it never panned out.

Taylor Bracey, the FL high school student a deputy hurled onto concrete, is suffering serious medical consequences ... according to her mother and her family's attorney, Ben Crump.

Jamesha Bracey -- mom of 16-year-old Taylor -- and Crump joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and told us Taylor's been suffering severe headaches and memory loss since the violent incident at Liberty High School in Osceola County.

Jamesha explained why she was so shocked to get a phone call Tuesday from the school saying Taylor was getting medical treatment. She says her daughter had told her some girls wanted to fight, but she had advised her to contact the Dean, and thought everything was handled.

As we've reported ... deputy Ethan Fournier is the school resource officer, seen in the video slamming Taylor on her head. The Sheriff's Office claims Fournier was breaking up a fight, but Jamesha says there was no physical fight at all -- and the students were only arguing.

Crump, who's been retained by Taylor's family, says the teen is now dealing with cognitive function issues as a result of the body slam ... and doesn't remember much after the deputy grabbed her from behind.